Cat 0 Implements?

[dougc71887]

Hey Board,
We had a designer of implements come to us last year asking us to launch a new line of implements for Cat 0 spacing tractors. CAT- Implements. Well priced and have worked very well. More popular than I would have guessed.

We are considering expanding the line and are open to suggestions about what implements people use. Is a post-hole digger a big deal, for example?

Thanks for any input you have.

I know this does not directly address the question asked but I'd like to supply some information and ask a question or two that may be generally relevant as it goes to the Cat 1/0 area of discussion.

When I bought my small patch of grass back in '08, I was still working FT and didn't take the time to think my early purchases through and instead listened to other 'well-meaning' friends in the neighborhood about what to buy. So off I went with a Kubota M6040 and all the typical implements used in traditional farming. My reality ultimately set in and I realized everything I had was generally too large for what I wanted to do. My land is rolling hills, ponds, woodlot (SYP) and mostly what I do is occasional tree harvesting/transporting, Sawmilling, road maintenance, bush hogging, lite clearing, food plots and gardening. It's all done in relatively small patches of activity so Category 1 implements are plenty large for most all I do. I could likely get by with some of the lighter Cat 0 stuff too such as a rake. Ultimately, after owning the land for a while, I opted for a 35HP Ventrac rig with rear hydraulics and a 3 Pt Hitch - Power Rake, Brushcutter, Bucket + Rake and disc harrow for the rear (food plots). That works much much better for what I do. The rating on my 3 Pt Hitch is 750 lbs. Just today I was looking at a Kasco Vari-Maxx Seeder which I think would be great for my food plots but it weighs in at a whopping 960 lbs so can't be used with the Ventrac (with additional limitations listed in the next paragraph). It seems I run into issues like this a lot. Sometimes the rear attachments are just right and other times the Ventrac package just can't handle the lifting of the heavier units. It's not the HP, but the nature of the tractor's design and what is is 'mostly' designed to do.

Somewhere here I think I ran across a comment about a Category 1 (Narrow) which sounds like what I may have on the Ventrac's 3PtH because though it is classified as a Cat 1 unit, the lift arms do not swing wide enough to get most of my Cat 1 attachments 'easily' mounted. I have also noted that the OAW of the lower lifting section of the implements vary from each other by as much as a couple of inches which makes the hook-up even more harrowing considering the limitations of my 3PtH. Currently, the only option I have is to reverse the direction of the lift arm pins to allow room to connect. Is it common to do this when one runs into these obstacles? I have no idea and cannot find anything on-line that discusses the reversing of lift arm pins and whether it's commonly done or if its a no-no.

1. Does anyone know what my problem is with the lift arm limitations of my 3PtH?
2. Can anyone direct me to the 'standards' of what the various Categories are dimensionally?
3. Any other input I consider valuable as I am a former city boy loving the country life and wishing to do it right.

Thanks

 

[WranglerX]

I know this does not directly address the question asked but I'd like to supply some information and ask a question or two that may be generally relevant as it goes to the Cat 1/0 area of discussion.

When I bought my small patch of grass back in '08, I was still working FT and didn't take the time to think my early purchases through and instead listened to other 'well-meaning' friends in the neighborhood about what to buy. So off I went with a Kubota M6040 and all the typical implements used in traditional farming. My reality ultimately set in and I realized everything I had was generally too large for what I wanted to do. My land is rolling hills, ponds, woodlot (SYP) and mostly what I do is occasional tree harvesting/transporting, Sawmilling, road maintenance, bush hogging, lite clearing, food plots and gardening. It's all done in relatively small patches of activity so Category 1 implements are plenty large for most all I do. I could likely get by with some of the lighter Cat 0 stuff too such as a rake. Ultimately, after owning the land for a while, I opted for a 35HP Ventrac rig with rear hydraulics and a 3 Pt Hitch - Power Rake, Brushcutter, Bucket + Rake and disc harrow for the rear (food plots). That works much much better for what I do. The rating on my 3 Pt Hitch is 750 lbs. Just today I was looking at a Kasco Vari-Maxx Seeder which I think would be great for my food plots but it weighs in at a whopping 960 lbs so can't be used with the Ventrac (with additional limitations listed in the next paragraph). It seems I run into issues like this a lot. Sometimes the rear attachments are just right and other times the Ventrac package just can't handle the lifting of the heavier units. It's not the HP, but the nature of the tractor's design and what is is 'mostly' designed to do.

Somewhere here I think I ran across a comment about a Category 1 (Narrow) which sounds like what I may have on the Ventrac's 3PtH because though it is classified as a Cat 1 unit, the lift arms do not swing wide enough to get most of my Cat 1 attachments 'easily' mounted. I have also noted that the OAW of the lower lifting section of the implements vary from each other by as much as a couple of inches which makes the hook-up even more harrowing considering the limitations of my 3PtH. Currently, the only option I have is to reverse the direction of the lift arm pins to allow room to connect. Is it common to do this when one runs into these obstacles? I have no idea and cannot find anything on-line that discusses the reversing of lift arm pins and whether it's commonly done or if its a no-no.

1. Does anyone know what my problem is with the lift arm limitations of my 3PtH?
2. Can anyone direct me to the 'standards' of what the various Categories are dimensionally?
3. Any other input I consider valuable as I am a former city boy loving the country life and wishing to do it right.

Thanks

Here it the QH standard for all CAT "X" (1-2-3) hitches... And as a side note I have a SCUT and most CAT 1 implements seem just a little to big/heavy, but the CAT 0 seem just a bit to much of a light weight (CAT 0 seem primarily for ATV'S)..

3-Point Hitch Categories: From 0 to 4

Not every 3-point hitch is created equal; they have five categories, matched to the strength of the tractor where they’re installed.

www.hobbyfarms.com

categories/#:~:text=Category%200,with%2020%20horsepower%20or%20less.

 

[Vigo327]

I have no idea and cannot find anything on-line that discusses the reversing of lift arm pins and whether it's commonly done or if its a no-no.

You'll definitely be fine. I do the same for a couple of reasons. One reason is i like being able to kick the arms inward off the pins while standing to the outside, vs having to pull them off or kick 'across the middle'. Silly reason? Well, since there's not much downside, silly reasons become perfectly valid!!

So in terms of the lift capacity, in general 3ph lift capacity is 'set' primarily by the hydraulic relief pressure. It seems to me that it's mostly set to a level that wouldn't require much if any front counterweight to keep front tire traction (for steering purposes). So most tractors (and yes i know what a Ventrac is, still a tractor for these purposes) could lift substantially more than the stock 3pt lift capacity if they had additional front counterweight to maintain steering control. If you're comfortable modifying the pressure relief setting, getting from 750 to 1000lbs would not be much of a stretch.

 

[dougc71887]

You'll definitely be fine. I do the same for a couple of reasons. One reason is i like being able to kick the arms inward off the pins while standing to the outside, vs having to pull them off or kick 'across the middle'. Silly reason? Well, since there's not much downside, silly reasons become perfectly valid!!

So in terms of the lift capacity, in general 3ph lift capacity is 'set' primarily by the hydraulic relief pressure. It seems to me that it's mostly set to a level that wouldn't require much if any front counterweight to keep front tire traction (for steering purposes). So most tractors (and yes i know what a Ventrac is, still a tractor for these purposes) could lift substantially more than the stock 3pt lift capacity if they had additional front counterweight to maintain steering control. If you're comfortable modifying the pressure relief setting, getting from 750 to 1000lbs would not be much of a stretch.

Thanks Vigo. Truly helpful advice and I will take advantage of it all!